Tuk - Tuks With Fare Meter Coming Soon?

[uts]

Let's see - TukTuks vs. Taxis: Lower fuel consumption, smaller engines, lower maintenance costs = Higher fees ? By this scale it should then be logical (<-- in Thailand ) that motorcycle taxis should run you around 400-500 baht starting price.

What's next? Maybe bicycle rentals at 600-700baht a day and a sidewalk surcharge for for those cheapskate tourists who try to avoid the overpriced transportation fees.

Gives a new ending to "A fool and his money are soon parted" --> "A fool and his money vacation in Phuket"

Yeah - another pie in the sky idea!

Everybody is a rich American!

Rip everybody off.

[salty]

Good idea. Run the tuk tuks on hot air.

[WISteve]

When I fly into a Midwestern airport and get into a four door, late model air conditioned taxi the flag drop fee is between $5 and $6 dollars US. This gentlemen is proposing a flag drop fee than is nearly $8 for an open air trike with no suspension that spews noxious fumes in my face at every stop sign.

He's not trying to solve the problem equitably, he trying to legitimize the price gouging.

"Sorry sir, but that is the official price as adopted by the city government of Phuket."

An international tourist destination?

Rapidly becoming less of one with each news story featuring violent or larceny prone natives.

~WISteve

[Me&MrsJones]

I think the issue is that these operators are controlled/owned by small weathy, influential groups (OK, mafia, to use a Italian term) who have too many vehicles on the road that don't pay for themselves without a substantial price hike. The fewer people that use them the more they have to put the prices up. Since no one in government wants to break their ricebowl for cultural reasons (OK, fear), the sensible course of action is avoided.

IMO the sensible move is allow a free market to operate.

But this is Thailand

I agree!

The problem is that increasing the price does not help to get more customers. If the tuk-tuks were priced fairly (35 baht surcharge) demand would increase ocz eveyone would use them. Simple as that! The Thai approach to improving business is to increase prices, which they think covers any shortfall incurred due to any kind of downturn.

"Any metered fee structure would still have to reflect Phuket’s status as an international tourist destination, Gov Wichai said".

As for Phuket being regarded as an international tourist destination, dont make me laugh! Phuket is anything but that! Certainly not anywhere near international standard that's for sure. The best thing about Phuket is the departure lounge. Phuket and i will never cross paths again!

35b surcharges work in Bangkok and everywhere else where taxis operate - so why should it be any different for a rat-hole like Phuket?

(sorry if you live there....please dont take it personally)

Either do it properly or dont do it at all!

[MyphuketLife]

They need to get rid of them, I can get an air conditioned taxi at some of the largest cities in the world for cheaper than what the TUKTUKs charge.

I can't believe that they continue to let this go on, how about Bangkok coming into town to clean things up since the local government can't or won't?

[jesters]

Agreed. Can't you get some of your baht bus driving mates to relocate to Phuket?

(Minus the pick-pocket gangs )

Send them too the pick pocket gangs because we dont want the here in fun city.

[Reasonableman]

So if the flagfall is 150-250 Baht, which is 4 to 7 times that of a comfortable, modern, and relatively safe aircon taxi in Bangkok, the "international-standard tourist destination" per-km rate should be 4 to 7 times the taxi rate, right? Perhaps the taxi drivers need a stronger union! Little wonder it is erroneously pronounced "Phuk_t", instead of the more correct "Poo-get". Although, it does appear that visitors do get bucketed with a disproportionate amount of poo during their visits. So either pronunciation works.

[juiso]

250 bhat starting price is indeed very expensive. some thai people have to work 12 hours in phuket to make this amount of money.

[phuketrichard]

It will NEVER happen in oiur live times and even if it does 99% of the tome tourists gets in Tuk TUk and ats thing he says, "where oyu wnat to go" second, "ohh meter broken" i think they should have sogns at the airport.

Save Phuket do not use a tuk tuk

Sort of like when they had the sign as u drove down the hill to Patong that said use condoms, nothing like advertising what Patongs all about :-)

[phuketrichard]

PS;

I HATE this new balck background!!!!

[asiawatcher]

Go a kilometre in Bangkok for 40 Baht easy - ride from Sukhumvit to Esplanade - about 80 Baht - Taxis are cheaper but the price of a 'flag fall' at 120Baht or more - yeah right - they can place their Tuk Tuk where it is most appropriate for waste.

[Finlaco]

The prices aren’t going to start at 35 baht,” he said. “It could be 120 or 250 baht, but I don’t know yet because we have to set up prices that both sides are happy with.”

Why not?

If one can get a air con taxi in BKK then ....... 120 FOR A TUK TUK!

[harrycallahan]

Transparency is a good thing, at least the haggling won't have to happen and people know how much they're getting ripped off straight up.

Edited January 22, 2010 by harrycallahan

[montri69]

So if the flagfall is 150-250 Baht, which is 4 to 7 times that of a comfortable, modern, and relatively safe aircon taxi in Bangkok, the "international-standard tourist destination" per-km rate should be 4 to 7 times the taxi rate, right? Perhaps the taxi drivers need a stronger union! Little wonder it is erroneously pronounced "Phuk_t", instead of the more correct "Poo-get". Although, it does appear that visitors do get bucketed with a disproportionate amount of poo during their visits. So either pronunciation works.

Actually, the very first time I ever saw the name I thought it was pronounced "PHUK = Fuk" and "ET = It"

[happyinkathu]

with all the bs that farangs have to put up with in Phuket, why does anyone even go there.?? I am confused..

Lets keep a balance here...how about this.;

with all the bs that Thais and expats have to put up with from obnoxious visiters in Phuket, why does anyone wonder if some are treated with contempt ?? I am not confused.. I'm getting sick of saying it , but i love this place and apart from the tuk-tuk rip offs , its still a great place to live and to visit ...

[Jonathanpattaya]

This is such a ludicrous idea and will never work!

[simmondsw]

I just came back from a five day trip to Penang, they have similar problems with taxi's not turning on meters. However on my way back to the airport my taxi was stopped by the police. I wondered what I had done....! It turned out they where checking to make sure that my driver was using his meter, how refreshing that the authorities are enforcing the law. Phuket could learn a lot, I love living here but these little issues all add up and reflect badly on this island.

If Thailand wants to be seen a developed, then it needs to clean up its act. Lets have meters or fixed fees. I think more people would actually use the Tuk Tuk's if they knew they wouldn't get the hassle that goes with them. Also, lets get the police enforcing the law.

Q. How many people drink and drive to get home because its preferable to being ripped off at the end of the night.....?

A. I'm sorry to say that I have, it's not right, I know. But being charged between 300 and 500THB for a 1.5km journey isn't either. And this year the latest scam in Kamala is because I live up a steep hill then its extra if I want to actually go to my complex. They stop at the bottom of the hill and say that's are far as will go.

[gazman]

Look at the baht bus system in Pattaya, absolutely brilliant. Hop on in the direction your going and hand over 10bt when you get off.

Also I'm in Chiang Mai at the moment and a metered taxi from Chiang Mai airport to the top end of the old city was 42bt. This was a new vehicle, air conditioning etc. Every time I hope into a tuk tuk here it is 50bt minimum for a third of the distance.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

"a Price that makes both sides happy" what the hel_l is that??? I only see one side that is happy with those kind of extortionate prices. We can clearly see here what side the Governors bread is buttered. Mr. Governor, get off your corrupt @ss and do whats right here. Other than the obvious reason (mafia Tea money) why isn't there simply a shuttle bus running up and down the beach roads??? What a joke !!!

[dude007]

200. Ridiculous.

Agreed. Can't you get some of your baht bus driving mates to relocate to Phuket?

(Minus the pick-pocket gangs )

It only reflects how crooked the whole system is. 200 THB starting price is just crazy and will not change anything. Also this Governor, who eats from the hands of these tuc-tuc bandits is afraid of them. They tried some time ago with metered taxis but within two weeks they were all set on fire... Soon there will be surcharges (to escape from the metered price) and all sorts of other costs.

It will need much more courage to uproot there mafiosi and the only way is to put the same standards to all of Thailand, not only Bangkok and Pattaya where taxidrivers have the right to earn as much as their [crooked] colleagues from Phuket. Where is the difference going in starting price if we have in both places metered taxis??? 200 THB (Phuket) - 35 THB (Bangkok) = 165 THB per drive.... Why the tourist has to pay so much more in Phuket than anywhere else? What's so special about Phuket that tourists are actually trying to escape more and more??? Crazy, Crazy, Crazy

This is killing tourism in Phuket, for sure... It's no progress, it's legalizing scams!

[Igor]

Brilliant solution to a problem. Make a criminal activity a mandated activity.

As if meters are ever used, anyway.

By the way: two days ago in Chiang Mai I did my week's grocery shopping. Had several bags. Stopped a tuktuk who took me to my place. Not far, maybe 5 km. Fifty baht and he helped me with my bags.

[eastlight]

Hmmm, a starting fare of 120-250 baht prices a ride in a Phuket tuk-tuk at 1.5 to 3 times the cost of a similar ride in a yellow cab in New York City.

Why go to Phuket in the first place - I never will! Just why would anybody need to pay 250 baht etc. when here in Pattaya you can travel for a considerable distance, as I do, for 10 baht?

[Acharn]

"Unfortunately, he is also quoted as saying that the minimum charge could be around 250 baht as opposed to the 35 baht for the regular taxis in Bangkok."

--

LOL! Guess my decision stands never to return to that joke of a place again.

ROTFLMAO! I've never gone to Phuket -- this is one of the reasons. Several years ago I used to spend a lot of time at the Beer Garden on Suk Soi 7. There used to be a couple of tuk-tuks that parked out front. A favorite short-time hotel nearby was the PB Hotel (formerly the Playboy). Now you can walk to the PB from the beer garden in about five minutes; some of the girls preferred to. Some of the girls felt it was beneath their dignity to walk. The tuk-tuks wanted 50 baht for the trip. The metered taxi, with air conditioning, was 35, and with a 5 baht tip an even 40. Very convenient to pay. The tuk-tuks actually did get some trade, from newly arrived tourists who were intrigued by the idea of riding in a smelly, noisy, unsafe contraption that was exotic by their standards, but the drivers never figured out they would make a lot more money if they lowered their prices. There are areas in Bangkok where it makes sense to hire a tuk-tuk, but definitely not in the tourist ghetto aound lower Sukhumvit.

[dude007]

"Many tourism business operators and expat residents hold Gov Wichai in high regard for his introduction of the mandatory insurance scheme aimed at ending disputes between tourists and jet-ski operators,the first of its kind in the world."

This list of items that Thailand has given the world, been the first at, etc., must be a couple of thousand pages long by now.

the first of its kind in the world?????? = BIG BULLSHIT and low journalism

[LPCustom69]

"International tourist destination" seems to translate to bend over!

[ianh68]

with all the bs that farangs have to put up with in Phuket, why does anyone even go there.?? I am confused..

Spot on. And it's being touted as an international haven for retired ex pats because of its "world class medical facilities"

[moskito]

so, all in all the governor let us know that he dont have the power to do ANYTHING....

Tuk tuks still going on to dictate the transport fees, doesnt matter with or without meter.

Nothing will change until we got another, totally different PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION system....a lot of blablabla and hot air.

[ingvar]

I do not understand why any1 goes to Phuket, I went there once and the whole place is a rip off from taxi to Hotels and the restaurants. The food was truly disgusting and the hotel rooms are barely holes in the wall, luckily I had my own transportation but unfortunately I could not even enter Patong because of all the Tuk Tuk all over the place.

There are so many beutifull places surrounding Phuket such as Koh Lanta, Krabi and using those places as a base for visiting Islands around Phuket for diving, snorkeling or just the beaches is much better and cheaper.

Start a campaign to boycott Phuket!

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

This " Highly Regarded" Governor should have taken a page from old Abe lincoln's timeless saying. "It is better to remain silent and be thought of as corrupt than to speak out and remove all doubt". The tail wags the dog, pathetic !!! Any idea when elections are coming?

[mythBuster]

How good is a metered tuk tuk or taxi when they are not switched on anyhow. In Bangkok it is in general except for the tourist rip off places like Patpong more or less okay, go to Chiangmai and you see that the taximeters are a farce a joke and a mirror of the local government. Corrupted, non working and submissive. I can't imagine that there was ever one tourist who got arranged that a meter was switched on. Given the fact that Phuket is twenty times more crooked than Chiangmai it is just window dressing.